Everything you need to know as a new Urban Choices tenant.
Urban Choices Property Tenancy Information Sheet
On behalf of Urban Choices Property we welcome you as a tenant of Urban Choices. The following notes contain information which will assist you with your tenancy with us.
Maintenance Any maintenance works required to the property should be called through to the office during business hours. All maintenance should be reported to your Property Manager and by calling on 1300 UCHOICES (1300 824 642). If the maintenance request is urgent and happens outside of business hours please contact 1300 UCHOICES (1300 824 642) where your call will be directed to our After Hours Maintenance Service. Urgent Maintenance is a repair that is a threat to your health and safety and is usually related to gas, electricity or a water problem. Urgent Repairs are defined below in accordance with the Residential Tenancy Act 1997:
Gas supply faults AGL 131 245
ORIGIN
132 461
RED ENERGY
131 806
Electricity faults AGL 131 245
ORIGIN
132 461
RED ENERGY
131 806
Contacting your property manager
• A burst water service
If you wish to see your Property Manager, please call our office on 1300 UCHOICES (1300 824 642) and we will make an appointment to ensure your Property Manager is available to see you. Paying rent The Residential Tenancies Act clearly states that it is the responsibility of the TENANT to pay rent to the Landlord/ Agent in full, on or before the due date, as stated in the Lease Agreement. If your rent is going to be paid late it is very important you advise your Property Manager as soon as possible. • Rent is payable strictly as designated in your Tenancy Agreement or subsequent written documentation of a change in your rental amount- i.e. Rent increase advice. • Your rent may be paid in person at our office Monday to Friday, 9.00am – 5.00pm. • Urban Choices Property does not accept cash payments of rent unless your rent is late being paid and your Property Manager has requested the cash payment. • Should you choose to send a bank or personal cheque, please direct it to our office, ensuring you write your name and property address on the back. Should you require a receipt, please enclose a stamped self- addressed envelope with your payment. • In the event of any ONLINE payments not being honored by the bank upon presentation the tenant shall pay the agent the applicable bank charges. Please note:
• A blocked or broken lavatory system
• A serious roof leak
• A gas leak
• A dangerous electrical fault
• Flooding or serious flood damage
• Serious storm or fire damage
• A failure or breakdown of any essential service or appliance provided for hot water, water, cooking, heating • Any fault or damage that makes the rented premises unsafe or insecure
• A serious fault in a lift or staircase.
Please note that blockages of sinks, drains, baths and toilets are the responsibility of the tenant if caused by negligence.
Lockouts If you have locked yourself out after hours, this will be your responsibility to call out a locksmith at your own expense. Lockouts are NOT considered an urgent repair. General power and gas failure Before reporting an electrical or gas fault to Urban Choices Property, please contact your energy and gas supplier directly to ensure that there are no reported building and area outages. Please see below some of the providers contact numbers:
Rental arrears Tenants are sometimes reluctant to approach their Managing Agent to discuss their real estate needs for fear of jeopardising their tenancy. If you are having difficulties paying your rent ALWAYS CONTACT US to discuss the situation. We are here to be of assistance whenever we can. If we have had no contact from you or you have not adhered to arrangements that have been previously made we will refer the matter to a hearing at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal for resolution. Nras compliance This tenancy is subject to the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) and has been offered because the gross household income reported to the Landlord meets NRAS income eligibility criteria. This tenancy is subject to the gross household income meeting the NRAS criteria. In order for Urban Choices to assess your eligibility you will be required to provide information about your household income for each NRAS year and complete an NRAS demographic form. Occupancy The only people to reside at the property on a permanent basis are those originally on your application and lease. Our office is to be notified immediately should a new member of a household be introduced to the property. We require a completed Application Form by the new tenant to be submitted for the approval of the Landlord PRIOR to the new tenant moving in. Any assignment of tenancy cannot take place until the required notification has been given to the Residential Tenancies Bond Authority. All parties, i.e. the Landlord/ Agent, the Tenant and the Assignee, must sign this notification. BOND MONIES ARE NOT TRANSFERABLE UNLESS NOTIFICATION IS PROVIDED AS SET OUT ABOVE. Change of locks You are welcome to change the locks at the property at your own expense, but we MUST be supplied with a spare key for emergencies – or in case you lock yourself out during business hours. (Section 70 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997). Change of personal details Should you change your personal or employment details at any time during the tenancy, it is very important that our office be advised of these new details so our records can be updated.
Property inspections Urban Choices Property will be inspecting the property every six months. We will send out letters to you providing advice on the date and time we will be inspecting the property. The purpose of the inspection is to ensure that everything is working for you. Noise and nuisance We encourage you to be a good neighbour and respect the rights of your neighbours to enjoy the privacy, peace and comfort of their own home.
Please remember:
• TV’s radios, etc. should be played at a reasonable volume
• Be tolerant of other people’s different lifestyles and cultures
• You are responsible for the behaviour of your visitors.
Please note: If you don’t adhere to these responsibilities we may issue you with a Breach of Duty notice asking you to rectify the problem. If the problem continues we may take further action through the Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). If you experience any noise or nuisance behaviour please contact us on 1300 UCHOICES (1300 824 642). Smoke alarms Your home has been fitted with smoke alarms. It is your responsibility to regularly test that they are working and ensure the batteries are replaced at least once per year. Do not deactivate your smoke alarm or interfere in its operation in any way. Please notify Urban Choices Property if your smoke alarm is faulty or not in working order. Pets Pets cannot be kept at your home without Urban Choices Property’s written consent. If you are granted permission and your pet causes damage or becomes a nuisance, your permission may be revoked. Giving notice – 28 days written notice is required If you wish to vacate after expiry of your fixed term tenancy agreement, at least 28 days notice in writing must be given. (Section 235 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997).
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You are able to access your information that we have collected and amend it when it is inaccurate. If you wish to access your information, please notify your Property Manager Making a complaint You may make a complaint about aspects of Urban Choices Property’s operations you are not satisfied with, such as:
The handing in of ALL keys signifies the legal termination of your tenancy. Please remember that you are liable for additional rental if:
• You inadvertently keep the keys
• You lock the keys inside your property.
Urban Choices Property will make every effort possible to recover rental costs from tenants who leave without:
• Paying their rent to the required date
• Service you have received
• Giving the required notice
• Behaviour of staff
• Returning the correct amount of keys.
• Advice we have provided.
Should you find it necessary to break the lease, the following conditions apply: • You are responsible for and must pay rent until the property is relet to a suitable tenant or until the termination date of the lease, whichever occurs first. • You are responsible for all reletting costs and any advertising expenses incurred. Please refer to your Residential Tenancy Agreement. Bond Bond Claim Forms will be processed only after all keys have been returned to our office and an inspection has been carried out. If there are any queries as to the condition of the property, you will be contacted within 14 days of vacating. Once any queries have been attended to arrangements will be made to facilitate your bond refund via the centralised Bond Authority and any unresolved bond dispute will be referred to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in accordance with the Act. Tenant must not use bond as rent Section 428 of the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 provides as follows: “a tenant must not refuse to pay rent on the ground that the tenant intends to regard as rent paid by the tenant the bond or any part of the bond paid in respect of the rented premises.” Your information Urban Choices Property is required to comply with the Information Privacy Principles (IPP) set out in the Privacy Act (Victoria) 2000, the Health Records Act 2001 and National Privacy Principles of the Federal Privacy Act 1988. We collect certain types of information such as full name, date of birth, personal income details and where you are currently living to:
To make a complaint you can call, email or write to your Property Manager or the Complaints Coordinator who will record your complaint and inform you of the next steps in the process. In summary We welcome you as tenant of Urban Choices Property. We assure you that your tenancy is important to us and our team is happy to address any concerns or questions you may have.
Contact us Urban Choices Property
Level 4, 333 Queen Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph: 1300 UCHOICES (1300 824 642)
Website – www.urbanchoicesproperty.org.au
Email – info@urbanchoicesproperty.org.au
• Assess eligibility to our services
• Assess rent payable; and
• Assess special accommodation needs.
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